Tourisme Montréal Blog » exhibitionhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:53:49 +0000en-UShourly1Fawning over Fabergéhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/fawning-over-faberge/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/fawning-over-faberge/#commentsWed, 02 Jul 2014 15:29:31 +0000Isa Tousignanthttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=76688When you think of Fabergé eggs, you probably think of the collection of shiny tchotchkes that sits behind glass in your grandma’s living room. But the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is working hard to shift our perspectives: it turns out Fabergé is much more than collectible kitsch… The House of Fabergé is a jewellery empire that ruled the lands of luxury in 19th century Russia. It was founded by Carl Fabergé, who throughout a skyrocketing career became the purveyor of intricately crafted objects of beauty first to people like the Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II, and then, to royal families and the most élite strata of society around the world. Among the 240 objects exhibited in this first-ever Fabergé exhibition, Fabulous Fabergé: Jeweller to the Czars, organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and hosted by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exclusively in Canada, there are four of the 43 remaining Fabergé eggs commissioned by the Romanovs. And to those of you who always wondered “why eggs?”, your curiosity will be quelled: these creations are inscribed in the Slavic tradition of the Easter egg where miniature eggs are given at Easter in the form of pendants.... / Read More →

When you think of Fabergé eggs, you probably think of the collection of shiny tchotchkes that sits behind glass in your grandma’s living room. But the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is working hard to shift our perspectives: it turns out Fabergé is much more than collectible kitsch…

The House of Fabergé is a jewellery empire that ruled the lands of luxury in 19th century Russia. It was founded by Carl Fabergé, who throughout a skyrocketing career became the purveyor of intricately crafted objects of beauty first to people like the Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II, and then, to royal families and the most élite strata of society around the world.

Among the 240 objects exhibited in this first-ever Fabergé exhibition, Fabulous Fabergé: Jeweller to the Czars, organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and hosted by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exclusively in Canada, there are four of the 43 remaining Fabergé eggs commissioned by the Romanovs. And to those of you who always wondered “why eggs?”, your curiosity will be quelled: these creations are inscribed in the Slavic tradition of the Easter egg where miniature eggs are given at Easter in the form of pendants. Fabergé put his mark on the tradition by making gifts of larger-sized jewel-encrusted egg-shaped art objects to the imperial family.

In the exhibition, it’s fascinating to see how complex Fabergé’s designs became, including miniature portraits, sculptural elements and increasingly ambitious techniques. Apart from the eggs, there are broaches, paperweights in the shape of animals, impossibly delicate crystal flowers and a wide variety of ornamental creations that exhibit the opulent tastes that reigned at the time.

One of the most interesting aspects of the exhibition is how it paints a picture of the whole time and place – 19th century Russia, a meeting point of Slavic and Christian traditions, a period of contrasting extreme wealth and poverty, and the end of the Imperial age. The House of Fabergé closed in 1917, when the First World War and the Russian Revolution and put an abrupt end to the reign of the Romanovs. Luckily, this sprawling exhibition pays this unique artisan and entrepreneur the tribute he is due.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/fawning-over-faberge/feed/0#MTLMOMENTS Exhibit shares special Montreal Momentshttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/mtlmoments-exhibit-shares-special-montreal-moments/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/mtlmoments-exhibit-shares-special-montreal-moments/#commentsMon, 23 Jun 2014 15:48:36 +0000Isa Tousignanthttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=76044What happens when thousands of Montrealers and visitors to Montreal take pics of their best moments and post them online? A ton of gorgeous images and over 40,000 shares since May last year, that’s what. The Montreal Moments social media movement initiated by Tourisme Montreal has taken the city by storm in the last year, inspiring people to capture everything that makes Montreal the exciting destination it is and post, and re-post, and comment, and re-comment the results. Now, in addition to having a virtual existence, the best photos have a stage all their own in the form of a summertime exhibition. Until August 24, your best #MTLMOMENTS shine – literally – in the window of the 2-22 building, on the corner of St-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine. The building acts as the cultural lynchpin to the Quartier des Spectacles, featuring, in addition to La Vitrine culturelle, an art gallery, a book store and a radio station, among other things. Incorporated into illuminated cubic structures built by the design firm La Camaraderie, the photos are on view next to the funny tweets and comments that accompanied them. The project puts not only the #MTLMOMENTS movement on view, but the city and its... / Read More →

What happens when thousands of Montrealers and visitors to Montreal take pics of their best moments and post them online? A ton of gorgeous images and over 40,000 shares since May last year, that’s what. The Montreal Moments social media movement initiated by Tourisme Montreal has taken the city by storm in the last year, inspiring people to capture everything that makes Montreal the exciting destination it is and post, and re-post, and comment, and re-comment the results. Now, in addition to having a virtual existence, the best photos have a stage all their own in the form of a summertime exhibition.

Until August 24, your best #MTLMOMENTS shine – literally – in the window of the 2-22 building, on the corner of St-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine. The building acts as the cultural lynchpin to the Quartier des Spectacles, featuring, in addition to La Vitrine culturelle, an art gallery, a book store and a radio station, among other things.

Incorporated into illuminated cubic structures built by the design firm La Camaraderie, the photos are on view next to the funny tweets and comments that accompanied them. The project puts not only the #MTLMOMENTS movement on view, but the city and its hottest places as well, from the perspective of people who were actually there. Travellers, find your to-do list right here!

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/mtlmoments-exhibit-shares-special-montreal-moments/feed/0McCord Museum turns up the music from Charlebois to Arcade Firehttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/mccord-museum-turns-up-the-music-from-charlebois-to-arcade-fire/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/mccord-museum-turns-up-the-music-from-charlebois-to-arcade-fire/#commentsTue, 10 Jun 2014 19:45:37 +0000Robyn Faddenhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=74663The sound of Quebec-made music, from the late-1950s to today, can be heard loud and clear at Music – Quebec: From Charlebois to Arcade Fire, a new multimedia exhibition at Montreal’s McCord Museum, May 30 to October 13, highlighting not only significant moments in Montreal and Quebec history, but Quebec’s place in a global pop-culture zeitgeist… Hundreds of Quebec musicians – from folk to rock to hip hop – make appearances in sound and on screen in the colourful exhibition. Known for weaving Montreal and Quebec history into a broader international timeline, the McCord Museum once again presents an extensive and engaging take on a topic that turns out to be more complex than it might first appear. The past 60 years of music in Quebec is not only tied to personal memories – as so much music tends to be – but to social and political movements that shaped Quebec culture. The exhibition travels from the nascent days of rock ‘n’ roll to ‘60s yé-yé and hippie-folk, ‘70s disco and rock, ‘80s glam rock and punk, ‘90s hip hop and world music, 2000s indie-rock and much in between. With each step through Music – Quebec: From Charlebois to Arcade Fire... / Read More →

The sound of Quebec-made music, from the late-1950s to today, can be heard loud and clear at Music – Quebec: From Charlebois to Arcade Fire, a new multimedia exhibition at Montreal’s McCord Museum, May 30 to October 13, highlighting not only significant moments in Montreal and Quebec history, but Quebec’s place in a global pop-culture zeitgeist…

Hundreds of Quebec musicians – from folk to rock to hip hop – make appearances in sound and on screen in the colourful exhibition. Known for weaving Montreal and Quebec history into a broader international timeline, the McCord Museum once again presents an extensive and engaging take on a topic that turns out to be more complex than it might first appear. The past 60 years of music in Quebec is not only tied to personal memories – as so much music tends to be – but to social and political movements that shaped Quebec culture. The exhibition travels from the nascent days of rock ‘n’ roll to ‘60s yé-yé and hippie-folk, ‘70s disco and rock, ‘80s glam rock and punk, ‘90s hip hop and world music, 2000s indie-rock and much in between.

With each step through Music – Quebec: From Charlebois to Arcade Fire comes a song or three, delivered crystal clear through Sony headphones. Far from reducing each decade to a stereotype, the exhibition presents a social context that grounds each song in history, adding that much more meaning to it, whether created by the infamous Leonard Cohen, Quebecois icon of psychedelic folk-rock Robert Charlebois, “Gens du pays” songwriter Gilles Vigneault, pop superstar Céline Dion, anti-establishment political group Les Colocs, Innu folk-rock duo Kashtin, rock-metal masters Voivod, or recent international stars Arcade Fire. If there’s a fun way to take a crash-course in recent Quebec history, especially its more rebellious side, this is it.

A variety of musical instruments, artifacts and costumes brings the music further to life: see album cover art that reflects everything from pastoral folk to prog-rock excess; some of the guitars wielded in the name of freedom of expression, revolution and sovereignty; and extravagant costumes that could be just as at home in a Cirque du Soleil show as on a rock-music stage. Through video footage and storytelling, the Music exhibition also highlights several major “milestone” concerts in Quebec that had a social impact in the past 50 years, from the beginning of the Montreal International Jazz Festival to the Céline Dion and Ginette Reno duet on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City to Arcade Fire’s major free outdoor show at Place des Spectacles in 2011.

Referencing music’s power to change our everyday lives, a variety of cultural activities add to the exhibition’s significance, including several family-friendly events. Tour the exhibition with museum experts, attend a Sunday workshop to make maracas and album covers, see documentary films on some of the artists featured in the exhibition, attend cocktail-hour concerts and discussions, and visit the outdoor Urban Forest all summer to hear live music every day at noon-hour and on Wednesday evenings, while keeping our appetite sated with the help of the city’s food trucks.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/mccord-museum-turns-up-the-music-from-charlebois-to-arcade-fire/feed/0Things to Do in Montreal: April 18-24http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-18-24/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-18-24/#commentsThu, 17 Apr 2014 19:20:24 +0000Robyn Faddenhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=69061Spring and sunshine come together this week in Montreal for Easter brunches and concerts, hockey playoffs, internationally-acclaimed art, theatre, film and dance, and a wide world of live music… (spring thaw) Along with this weekend’s Easter egg hunts and Sunday brunches, from classic to scrumptious to exotic and creative, excitement permeates the Montreal air as the NHL Playoffs begin with the Canadiens playing the Tampa Lightning at the Bell Centre on April 20 and 22. Get your sugar fix until the end of the month as sugaring-off season keeps the maple syrup flowing at one of the city’s sugar shacks and make sure to try some of the city’s favourite maple treats. Go green with a visit to the Botanical Garden and the Butterflies Go Free event, and check out more than 300 electric vehicles during Journées Branchez-Vous, April 18-19 at beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau. Find something new, colourful and creative to wear for spring at Montreal designer Les Enfants Sauvage cocktail party and sale on April 18, featuring bands, DJs and fashion, at Espace Projet, 5-9 p.m. And the Philharmonic Society of Montréal heralds in spring with a choral and orchestral concert of Verdi’s Requiem at Église Saint Jean-Baptiste on April 18, while conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin... / Read More →

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Spring and sunshine come together this week in Montreal for Easter brunches and concerts, hockey playoffs, internationally-acclaimed art, theatre, film and dance, and a wide world of live music…

(spring thaw) Along with this weekend’s Easter egg hunts and Sunday brunches, from classic to scrumptious to exotic and creative, excitement permeates the Montreal air as the NHL Playoffs begin with the Canadiens playing the Tampa Lightning at the Bell Centre on April 20 and 22. Get your sugar fix until the end of the month as sugaring-off season keeps the maple syrup flowing at one of the city’s sugar shacks and make sure to try some of the city’s favourite maple treats. Go green with a visit to the Botanical Garden and the Butterflies Go Free event, and check out more than 300 electric vehicles during Journées Branchez-Vous, April 18-19 at beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau. Find something new, colourful and creative to wear for spring at Montreal designer Les Enfants Sauvage cocktail party and sale on April 18, featuring bands, DJs and fashion, at Espace Projet, 5-9 p.m. And the Philharmonic Society of Montréal heralds in spring with a choral and orchestral concert of Verdi’s Requiem at Église Saint Jean-Baptiste on April 18, while conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Orchestre Métropolitain, its Choir and acclaimed guest singers in an Easter celebration at the Maison symphonique de Montréal on Saturday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.

(theatre & dance) Brilliant, award-winning playwright Yaël Farber directs her most recent work, Mies Julie, based on August Strindberg’s now-classic story of post-apartheid struggles of power, family and freedom in rural South Africa, at Cinquième Salle at Place des Arts, April 24-May 3. Amy Herzog’s family comedy-drama 4000 Miles tells a story of growing up and growing old, to April 20 at Centaur Theatre. Dance, theatre and contemporary art converge as Toronto choreographer-dancer D.A. Hoskins and The Dietrich Group challenge and entertain in their new, interactive show Land of F*ck, at Place des Arts, to April 19. Québec Danse and choreographer-dancer Louise Lecavalier lead the way in a free presentation called Trace Chorégraphique, beginning April 22 at Espace Culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme at Place des Arts. Jesus Christ Super Band brings the rock-opera cult classic film Jesus Christ Superstar to life, to April 20 at Théâtre Ste-Catherine.(art & film) Wander Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles to see the outdoor McLaren Wall-to-Wall exhibition, eight video works projected onto the façades of buildings featuring excerpts from Norman McLaren’s films, a film by Kid Koala and more – and while there, swing and make music with art installation Les 21 Balançoires. Springtime is literally in the air at the Botanical Garden’s. Artist Christian Marclay’s 24-hour-long, collage-like video work The Clock screens at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal until April 20 only. Scottish artist Peter Doig paints in lush colours and warm hues in recent works on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, also host to multi-artist contemporary art exhibition 1+1=1. British artists Jake & Dinos Chapman provoke and disturb in their exhibition Come and See, originally shown at London’s Serpentine Galleries and now at DHC/Art in Old Montreal. The 30th edition of the Vues d’Afrique international film festival begins April 24, screening new films from Canada, the U.S., African nations and the African and Créole diaspora. And the Phi Centre screens films throughout the month, including Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive on April 21, Bruce McDonald’s The Husband on April 22 and Lukas Moodysson’s We Are the Best on April 24.

(live music) Martha Wainwright captivates at Theatre Outremont on Friday night. Get a sneak peek at the greatness of electronic music festival Mutek, with Avant_Mutek Montreal, featuring Swedish techno-house duo Minilogue and more, late into the night April 18 at Espace Reunion. Also on Friday night, S. Carey – drummer and co-vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver, is joined by White Hinterland at Il Motore. On April 19, X Ambassadors alt-rock their hearts out, joined by Parade of Lights at Petit Campus. One of the biggest parties of the year, Bal en Blanc, holds its main event on April 20, an all-night, multi-room dance party, with DJs Hardwell, Deep Dish, Carl Cox, New World Punx and more, at Palais des Congres. Also on April 20, Berlin-based rock psychedelic hard-and-heavy Kadavar play with Sons of Huns, Cauchemar and High Spirits at Petit Campus and NYC indie-rock band We Are Scientists return to Montreal with Paws at Il Motore. Atlanta, Georgia indie-rockers The Black Lips come to Theatre Corona on April 21, with Natural Child and Red Mass, while indie-pop singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson belts out truths about life and love at Le National, and Swedish rock band I Break Horses plays soundscapes to shoegaze to at Il Motore. James Blunt croons to fans on April 23 at the Bell Centre, while Yamantaka // Sonic Titan slay in artful style, at Il Motore. April 24 brings the beats of Australian pop-rap star Iggy Azalea to Théâtre Corona, Montreal’s endearing Dear Criminals launch a new album at Cabaret Mile End, and Jessica Lea Mayfield brings her guitar and her country-rock style to Divan Orange.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-18-24/feed/0Things to Do in Montreal: April 11-17http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-11-17/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-11-17/#commentsThu, 10 Apr 2014 20:19:56 +0000Robyn Faddenhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=68492Montreal celebrates spring this week with outdoor art and activities, from big-screen film art to a tailgate party, and an array of fabulous food, affordable fashion and entertainment to suit all styles… (the city in spring) Quartier des Spectacles lights up with the outdoor McLaren Wall-to-Wall exhibition, a massive celebration of creativity in the digital arts and a tribute to Oscar winning animator Norman McLaren. Also in the Quartier des Spectacles, Les 21 Balançoires invites everyone to swing and make music as they soar, outdoors along President Kennedy Avenue. Springtime is literally in the air at the Botanical Garden’s Butterflies Go Free event, home to thousands of live, colourful butterflies from around the world, until April 27. At the nearby Planetarium, every evening see Choreographies for Humans and Stars, an outdoor digital artwork, while on April 16, Australian scientist Dr. Anya Salih talks about the mysterious phenomenon of coral fluorescence. And on Saturday, April 12, major league soccer teams Montreal Impact and Chicago Fire face off at Olympic Stadium, preceded in the afternoon by an official tailgate party outside, complete with beer, BBQ and DJs. (food & fashion) As the snow melts away, the maple syrup still flows and Quebec’s sugar shack tradition... / Read More →

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Montreal celebrates spring this week with outdoor art and activities, from big-screen film art to a tailgate party, and an array of fabulous food, affordable fashion and entertainment to suit all styles…

(the city in spring)Quartier des Spectacles lights up with the outdoor McLaren Wall-to-Wall exhibition, a massive celebration of creativity in the digital arts and a tribute to Oscar winning animator Norman McLaren. Also in the Quartier des Spectacles, Les 21 Balançoires invites everyone to swing and make music as they soar, outdoors along President Kennedy Avenue. Springtime is literally in the air at the Botanical Garden’s Butterflies Go Free event, home to thousands of live, colourful butterflies from around the world, until April 27. At the nearby Planetarium, every evening see Choreographies for Humans and Stars, an outdoor digital artwork, while on April 16, Australian scientist Dr. Anya Salih talks about the mysterious phenomenon of coral fluorescence. And on Saturday, April 12, major league soccer teams Montreal Impact and Chicago Fire face off at Olympic Stadium, preceded in the afternoon by an official tailgate party outside, complete with beer, BBQ and DJs.(food & fashion) As the snow melts away, the maple syrup still flows and Quebec’s sugar shack tradition continues until the end of April: eat your fill of syrup, crepes, meat pie, sausages and more at one of the city’s sugar shacks and try some of the city’s favourite maple treats, from coffee to cake. For something different yet still seasonal, partake of the SAT Foodlab’s creative Easter Menu until April 22. Or travel via your tastebuds by trying out Thai. After all the indulgence – or before – go spring shopping at sale prices at the Braderie de la Mode super sale, featuring all manner of made-in-Quebec clothing and accessories for men, women and kids, April 10-13 at Bonsecours Market. And fancy up your fingers and toes with bright, seasonal manicures and pedicures at one of Montreal’s best nail salons.

(dance & theatre)Les Grands Ballets presents the Houston Ballet’s Marie-Antoinette, while dancer-choreographer Peter Trosztmer works with artist-producers Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon to blend film, dance and music in Norman, a tribute to Norman McLaren, both until April 12 at Place des Arts. Toronto choreographer-dancer D.A. Hoskins and The Dietrich Group merge dance and contemporary art in the challenging, theatrical, interactive show Land of F*ck, at Place des Arts, April 15-19. Francophone performance festival Vue sur la Relève brings theatre, dance and music to multiple venues in the city all weekend. And learn to dance the Brazilian Samba for free on April 13 at Place des Arts. Drama comes to Theatre La Chapelle in Theatre 317’s production of The Memory of Water, a story of three sisters brought together for their mother’s funeral, to April 12, and Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre’s Blind, about the persecution of people with albinism in Tanzania, plays to April 13 at the MAI. Homer’s classic epic The Iliad comes to live on stage courtesy of family-friendly theatre company Geordie Productions, to April 13 at Centaur Theatre. On the other end of the spectrum, the Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque show stops in Montreal to entertain and titillate at La Tulipe on April 13. And more wild things abound as New York City’s Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow comes to town on April 13, while rock opera ignites the masses as Jesus Christ Super Band brings the cult classic film Jesus Christ Superstar to life, April 11-20 at Théâtre Ste-Catherine.(art days) The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal continues to host Christian Marclay’s amazing video work The Clock, while the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts captures spring colours in a beautiful painting exhibition by Scottish artist Peter Doig, which shows alongside multi-artist contemporary art exhibition 1+1=1. Controversial and famed British artists Jake & Dinos Chapman disturb and delight in the exhibition Come and See, originally shown at London’s Serpentine Galleries and now at DHC/Art in Old Montreal. The inaugural edition of the Montreal Digital Spring exhibition, ongoing to June 21 at dozens of the city’s art venues, features new digital art by locals and international artists, including multimedia event Polynôme, a compilation of four immersive video works playing weekdays to April 2 18 in the 360-degree Satosphere dome at the SAT.

(live music) Hear Pink Floyd’s classics in a spectacular, big-stage light and laser tribute show as Brit Floyd hits the Bell Centre, April 11. While on the Canadian country-music side of things, Corb Lund strums our worries away at Petit Campus. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra presents a special program for families on the afternoon of April 13, featuring Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. On April 14, chill out with American electronic ambient musician Tycho, playing at the Corona Theatre. English-Irish pop boy-band The Wanted romances and dances at Metropolis on April 15, while Atlanta’s The Coathangers rock out for real at Divan Orange. April 16 brings the heavy metal of Iced Earth to town at the Corona. Also on Wednesday night, Australian-born, NYC-based Betty Who gets people dancing to her fun synth-pop sound to Il Motore on April 16. London-based folky indie-rockers Fanfarlo raise the roof at La Sala Rossa on April 17, while ultra-talented Julianna Barwick loops and layers her voice to beautiful effect at Nomad Nation, presented by Pop Montreal. And one of the biggest LGBT parties of the year, Bal en Blanc, kicks off on April 17 with Hustler White and DJ Aron at Unity and Carte Blanche with DJ R3hab at New City Gas – the fest’s main event – featuring DJs Hardwell, Deep Dish, Carl Cox, New World Punx and many, many more – goes on all night April 20 at Palais des Congres.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-11-17/feed/0Things to Do in Montreal April 4-10http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-4-10/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-4-10/#commentsThu, 03 Apr 2014 22:55:12 +0000Robyn Faddenhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=67950Spring invigorates Montreal with new life, with interactive art on the streets and butterflies at the Botanical Gardens, alongside the final few weeks of sugar shack season and an array of theatre, dance, cutting-edge art, and live music from around the world. (spring things) Swing into spring with interactive public art Les 21 Balançoires, returns on April 8 to the Quartier des Spectacles, outdoors along President Kennedy Avenue: the 21 colourful swings play music as people swing – always a fun, friendly time. One of springtime’s most obvious symbols, the butterfly, comes out in full force at Butterflies Go Free at the Botanical Garden, where thousands of colourful butterflies fill the main exhibition greenhouse until April 27 – while there, learn about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly and the far corners of the world that butterflies call home. Stock up on new made-in-Quebec fashion at La Grande Braderie de la Mode Québécoise super sale, April 10-13 at Bonsecours Market. Another marker of spring: maple syrup – and with it comes the sweet-and-savoury sugar shack tradition. Until the end of April, sit down to a meal of sausages, pancakes, meat pie and much, much more at restaurants in the city, such as La Cabane,... / Read More →

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Spring invigorates Montreal with new life, with interactive art on the streets and butterflies at the Botanical Gardens, alongside the final few weeks of sugar shack season and an array of theatre, dance, cutting-edge art, and live music from around the world.(spring things) Swing into spring with interactive public art Les 21 Balançoires, returns on April 8 to the Quartier des Spectacles, outdoors along President Kennedy Avenue: the 21 colourful swings play music as people swing – always a fun, friendly time. One of springtime’s most obvious symbols, the butterfly, comes out in full force at Butterflies Go Free at the Botanical Garden, where thousands of colourful butterflies fill the main exhibition greenhouse until April 27 – while there, learn about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly and the far corners of the world that butterflies call home. Stock up on new made-in-Quebec fashion at La Grande Braderie de la Mode Québécoise super sale, April 10-13 at Bonsecours Market. Another marker of spring: maple syrup – and with it comes the sweet-and-savoury sugar shack tradition. Until the end of April, sit down to a meal of sausages, pancakes, meat pie and much, much more at restaurants in the city, such as La Cabane, or a short drive away in the countryside. And get a taste of basketball season, comedy-drama style, with the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, taking on-court entertainment to tricky new heights April 4 at the Bell Centre.

(theatre & dance) The extravagant French court life of Marie-Antoinette comes to life as Les Grands Ballets presents the Houston Ballet’s interpretation of the dramatic tale, complete with regal and sparking costumes and sets – April 9-12 at Place des Arts. The sensual, gorgeous style of tango comes direct from Buenos Aires to Montreal as Tango Legends features 12 award-winning dancers accompanied by live music, April 4-5 at Place des Arts. Artist-producers Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon and dancer-choreographer Peter Trosztmer blend film, dance and music in Norman, a tribute to Canadian animated-film pioneer Norman McLaren, to April 12 at Place des Arts. See family-friendly theatre company Geordie Productions Homer’s classic epic The Iliad, not only an engaging mythical journey but a reflection on war and its consequences, at Centaur Theatre April 4-13. More drama – with a comedic undertone – comes to the stage in Theatre 317’s production of The Memory of Water, a story of three sisters brought together for their mother’s funeral and faced with each other’s conflicting childhood memories, April 8-12 at Theatre La Chapelle. Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre’s presents Blind, about the persecution of people with albinism in Tanzania, April 3-13 at the MAI. Francophone performance festival Vue sur la Relève brings theatre, dance and music to multiple venues in the city, including a dance soirée on April 4 at Cabaret du Mile-End and a night of multidisciplinary performance on April 6 at Gesù.(art & the city) The great talents, complexities and controversies of British artists Jake & Dinos Chapman are all on display in career-spanning Come and See, a harrowing, sometimes horrific and sometimes humorous exhibition of sculpture, painting, film, music and literature, originally shown at London’s Serpentine Galleries and now at DHC/Art in Old Montreal. The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal holds its Max and Iris Stern International Symposium, open to all, April 4-5: titled Remontage/Remixing/Sharing: Technologies, Aesthetics, Politics, the symposium features talks by artists and other art professionals and academics, including a connection to Christian Marclay’s The Clock, currently on display at the museum, and a presentation by multimedia artist DJ Spooky. This week, the inaugural edition of Montreal Digital Spring, ongoing to June 21 at dozens of galleries, includes Polynôme, a compilation of four short, immersive video works playing weekdays April 2 to April 18, 7 pm, in the 360-degree Satosphere dome at the SAT. And the Phi Centre screens photography documentary Finding Vivian Maier, April 7.

(live music) Rock hard and in riot-grrl style on Friday night with Kathleen Hanna’s The Julie Ruin and Screaming Females at Il Motore. Start Saturday night out with the dance-rock sounds of Swedish indie-rockers The Sounds at Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre on April 5, while Buddy Guy plays the blues as only he can at Metropolis and Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Slean captures hearts and minds at the Amphithéâtre du Gesù. On April 6, the amazing, soulful British singer-songwriter Laura Mvula blows minds at La Tulipe while ever-rising rock star Mac DeMarco plays personal, standout songs from a new album, at the SAT. Black Sabbath, with Ozzy Osbourne front and centre as he should be, return to Montreal to rattle eardrums at the Bell Centre on April 7, while Daughter brings swoon-worthy Euro-folk-pop to the Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre and mathcore rockers The Dillinger Escape Plan come to Le National. Hear the experimental electronic music of Piotr Kurek, Hobo Cubes and Event Cloak on April 8 at Casa del Popolo or opt for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra playing in the Montreal Symphony’s home at Place des Arts. And Keys n Krates brings high-speed electronic synth-rock to Le Belmont on April 10.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-april-4-10/feed/0Butterflies spread their wings at the Botanical Gardenshttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/butterflies-spread-their-wings-at-the-botanical-gardens/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/butterflies-spread-their-wings-at-the-botanical-gardens/#commentsFri, 28 Mar 2014 17:36:04 +0000Isa Tousignanthttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=67063Craving more spring in your step than Mother Nature is providing these days? Head to the Botanical Gardens, within the east end’s kid-tastic Montreal Space For Life, where the temperatures are balmy and the smells sweetly floral. There’s added magic in the greenhouses these days thanks to Butterflies Go Free: an annual spring ritual that releases thousands of butterflies and moths from all over the world into the Main Exhibition Greenhouse. They float, flutter and flock all around visitors like living confetti… This edition of the Butterflies Go Free is dedicated to the chrysalis, that fascinating and still relatively mysterious process of transformation from the caterpillar to the butterfly. While for some species it’s a relatively short process, lasting days, for others it can take up to months, if not years. The Botanical Gardens has imported thousands upon thousands of species of chrysalises on the cusp of transforming from places as far as Costa Rica and China, and has installed them among their tropical plants to, as it were, spread their wings. At various spots on the greenhouse paths, large glass cases unite dozens of uniquely shaped chrysalises (each species has its own design) still waiting for their time in... / Read More →

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Craving more spring in your step than Mother Nature is providing these days? Head to the Botanical Gardens, within the east end’s kid-tastic Montreal Space For Life, where the temperatures are balmy and the smells sweetly floral. There’s added magic in the greenhouses these days thanks to Butterflies Go Free: an annual spring ritual that releases thousands of butterflies and moths from all over the world into the Main Exhibition Greenhouse. They float, flutter and flock all around visitors like living confetti…
This edition of the Butterflies Go Free is dedicated to the chrysalis, that fascinating and still relatively mysterious process of transformation from the caterpillar to the butterfly. While for some species it’s a relatively short process, lasting days, for others it can take up to months, if not years.

The Botanical Gardens has imported thousands upon thousands of species of chrysalises on the cusp of transforming from places as far as Costa Rica and China, and has installed them among their tropical plants to, as it were, spread their wings.
At various spots on the greenhouse paths, large glass cases unite dozens of uniquely shaped chrysalises (each species has its own design) still waiting for their time in the sun. But animating the large space with joyful energy are these guys’ older siblings: there are giant White Morphos so big they’re like flying sheets of Kleenex, delicate Blue Morphos that are as iridescent as an oil slick, majestic ochre and black Monarchs and every other size and colour of the rainbow.

The butterflies have no fear at all, often choosing your arm (or even face!) as an interesting place to land for a while. The effect is pure springtime fantasy.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/butterflies-spread-their-wings-at-the-botanical-gardens/feed/0Things to Do in Montreal: March 28 – April 3http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-march-28-to-april-3/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-march-28-to-april-3/#commentsThu, 27 Mar 2014 18:02:28 +0000Robyn Faddenhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=66796Spring arrives in Montreal slowly but colourfully: the butterflies fly at the Botanical Gardens and Major League Baseball hits it out of the park, er, stadium, and the delicious joys of sugar shack season abound alongside international film, opera, art and dance, and mind-blowing rock shows… (seasonal eating) A Quebec tradition continues well into April as sugaring-off season brings maple-syrup sweetness to the table: eat everything from sausages and pancakes to meat pie and gourmet specialties at local sugar shacks or just outside the city, where walks in the woods and sleight rides round out the experience. Go for a traditional, fried-up British meal at the city’s best fish and chips restaurants or more refined fare at the city’s tea rooms. And trust Montreal’s wine bars and our guide on Where to Go Drink in Montreal for whatever wets your whistle. (spring fever) As the snow begins to melt on the Montreal streets, indoors at the Montreal Space for Life, spring is in full bloom – watch thousands of butterflies fly free at the Botanical Garden’s Main Exhibition Greenhouse until the end of April, and while there, visit the plants and animals at the Biodôme’s micro-ecosystems, look deep into outer space at the Planetarium.... / Read More →

Spring arrives in Montreal slowly but colourfully: the butterflies fly at the Botanical Gardens and Major League Baseball hits it out of the park, er, stadium, and the delicious joys of sugar shack season abound alongside international film, opera, art and dance, and mind-blowing rock shows…

(seasonal eating) A Quebec tradition continues well into April as sugaring-off season brings maple-syrup sweetness to the table: eat everything from sausages and pancakes to meat pie and gourmet specialties at local sugar shacks or just outside the city, where walks in the woods and sleight rides round out the experience. Go for a traditional, fried-up British meal at the city’s best fish and chips restaurants or more refined fare at the city’s tea rooms. And trust Montreal’s wine bars and our guide on Where to Go Drink in Montreal for whatever wets your whistle.(spring fever) As the snow begins to melt on the Montreal streets, indoors at the Montreal Space for Life, spring is in full bloom – watch thousands of butterflies fly free at the Botanical Garden’s Main Exhibition Greenhouse until the end of April, and while there, visit the plants and animals at the Biodôme’s micro-ecosystems, look deep into outer space at the Planetarium. For the first time in a decade, Major League Baseball will be played at the Olympic Stadium on March 28 and 29, the Toronto Blue Jays take on the New York Mets – there’s even an official tailgate party with beer, BBQ and DJs starting three hours before each game. Yet outdoor winter sports season isn’t quite over, at least in the city’s large parks: snowshoe and possibly even ice skate at Mount-Royal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and Park Lafontaine – or head down to the Old Port of Montreal for some ice fishing.

(theatre & dance)Hänsel Und Gretel enthrals as the Opéra de Montréal, the National Circus School and the National Theatre School of Canada collaborate to bring the classic tale, with music by Engelbert Humperdink, to life – catch the final performance March 29 at Place des Arts. Also at PDA, the brilliant Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan performs Songs of the Wanderers, inspired by Herman Hesse’s novel Siddhartha and featuring 24 dancers, Georgian songs and 3.5 tonnes of rice, at Place des Arts, to March 29. For the kids, Disney’s Live Rockin’ Road Show makes a stop at Theatre St-Denis with a full cast of Disney favourites – see English-language shows on March 28 and 30. Famed Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren merges with the dance world in dancer and choreographer Peter Trosztmer’s captivating homage, to April 12 at PDA. In theatre, the fast-talking, quick-selling style of David Mamet’s classic Glengarry Glen Ross adds its wit and colourful language to the Segal Centre stage, to March 30, while Old Montreal’s Centaur Theatre transports us to World War I era Montreal in David Fennario’s politicized drama Motherhouse. And Francophone performance festival Vue sur la Relève brings theatre, dance and music to multiple venues in the city beginning April 2.

(film & art) See an array of art films, on subjects ranging from painting to comic books to dance and music, during the final weekend of the 32nd edition of the International Festival of Films on Art - screenings include Mark Gatiss’s Horror Europa, Sylvie Collier’s Cuba-based dance film To Dance Like a Man, historical-footage music film Cracked Actor: David Bowie, doc Werner Herzog: Beyond Reason, a 360-degree projection of Escher’s Universe at the SAT dome, and much more. Christian Marclay’s must-see film-collage The Clock screens at Musée d’art contemporain and Albanian-born, Milan-based artist Adrian Paci’s film, painting, sculpture and installation work shows to April 20, while the joint exhibition of contemporary art, 1+1=1 is at the MMFA alongside Peter Doig’s beautiful painting exhibition, No Foreign Lands. Over 70 interactive media art exhibitions and performances at venues across the city mark the inaugural edition of Montreal Digital Spring, from March 21 to June 21. And Old Montreal factory-turned-gallery Darling Foundry shows Nicolas Lachance’s painting exhibition Framing Smoke and Thomas Bégin’s immersive sound installation of recycled musical equipment, Byte by Byte. And if you’re in the market for art, check out our Guide to Montreal’s Commercial Art Galleries.

(live music) Lots of ways to rock this Friday night: from the dude-bro pop of Hedley on March 28 at the Bell Centre to the indie-rock style How To Dress Well, with openers Forest Swords and D’Eon at the SAT, or opt for the nu-’80s excellence of Dum Dum Girls at Il Motore or Montreal’s solidly loud ‘n’ cool Solids, playing two shows March 28 and 29 with all kinds of rocked-out openers and DJ sets at TRH Club. On Saturday night, post-teen pop-star Miley Cyrus crashes Montreal’s Bell Centre, while LA-based DJ duo Classixx gets the dance floor hopping at the SAT. On Sunday, March 30, German legends in electronic music, Kraftwerk, let the computer love flow in a 3D spectacle at Metropolis, while NYC indie-pop (bordering on bubble-gum) band AJR plays Sala Rossa. On Monday, March 31, Austin, Texas indie-rockers Okkervil River bring the good ol’ times to Sala Rossa. On April 2, clean-cut pop-rock band R5 gets fans screaming at Metropolis, award-winning Montreal singer-songwriter Ian Kelly keeps toes tapping at Théâtre Corona, and Vancouver hip-hop SonReal shakes up Cabaret Underworld. On April 3, bad-boy Canadian rock star Hawksley Workman teams up with Steve Bays (of Hot Hot Heat) and Ryan Dahle (of Age of Electric) to form Mounties, joined by openers The Zolas and James Younger at Cabaret Mile-End, Quebecoise star soprano Karina Gauvin sings Britten and more with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent Mcmorrow, known for his cover of Steve Winwood’s Higher Love, comes to town with Aidan Knight at Club Soda.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-march-28-to-april-3/feed/0Things to Do in Montreal: March 14-20http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-march-14-20/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-march-14-20/#commentsThu, 13 Mar 2014 21:02:55 +0000Robyn Faddenhttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=65450It’s not the end of winter yet, but the spring party spirit is in the air in Montreal, beginning with Sunday’s St-Patrick’s Day Parade and extending to indulgent sugar shack meals, enlightening on-stage drama, and live music that moves heart and soul… (St-Patrick’s Day) If there’s one thing that marks the arrival of springtime in Montreal, even if there’s still snow on the ground, it’s the St-Patrick’s Day Parade, ongoing since the year 1824. This year’s parade happens on Sunday, March 16, 12pm, at the corner of Fort Street and Ste-Catherine Street and traveling east through downtown. See elaborate floats, marching bands and friendly gangs of revelers all along the way, and stop in at one of the city’s Irish bars where musical entertainment and St-Patty’s Day food and drink specials mark the occasion. (out & about) Outdoors, winter still holds on to its reign, so take advantage of end-of-season snowshoeing, ice skating and cross-country skiing at the city’s large parks: Mount-Royal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Park Lafontaine, and the Olympic Park’s Winter Village – and there’s even still ice fishing at the Old Port of Montreal. Indoors, Canadiens NHL hockey season continues at home on March 15, 18 and 20, or discover... / Read More →

It’s not the end of winter yet, but the spring party spirit is in the air in Montreal, beginning with Sunday’s St-Patrick’s Day Parade and extending to indulgent sugar shack meals, enlightening on-stage drama, and live music that moves heart and soul…

(St-Patrick’s Day) If there’s one thing that marks the arrival of springtime in Montreal, even if there’s still snow on the ground, it’s the St-Patrick’s Day Parade, ongoing since the year 1824. This year’s parade happens on Sunday, March 16, 12pm, at the corner of Fort Street and Ste-Catherine Street and traveling east through downtown. See elaborate floats, marching bands and friendly gangs of revelers all along the way, and stop in at one of the city’s Irish bars where musical entertainment and St-Patty’s Day food and drink specials mark the occasion.(out & about) Outdoors, winter still holds on to its reign, so take advantage of end-of-season snowshoeing, ice skating and cross-country skiing at the city’s large parks: Mount-Royal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Park Lafontaine, and the Olympic Park’s Winter Village – and there’s even still ice fishing at the Old Port of Montreal. Indoors, Canadiens NHL hockey season continues at home on March 15, 18 and 20, or discover the many worlds of Montreal’s Space For Life, home to the Biodome, Botanical Garden, Planetarium and Insectarium, where the butterflies have just come out of hibernation.(sugar & spice) Experience some of Quebec’s sweetest, most indulgent culinary creations at a local sugar shack, a temporary late-winter phenomenon that coincides with the maple syrup “sugaring-off” season. Indulge in the sweet and savoury offerings at sugar shacks in the city and beyond, including restaurants La Cabane and Scena with chef Laurent Godbout. While most cabane à sucres are extremely family-friendly, many of Montreal’s year-round restaurants welcome kids too – check out our list of family-friendly restaurants to find one that suits. And whether it’s high noon or the day is done, relax with a nice, warm cup of tea at one of the city’s tea rooms.(art alive) Go underground downtown and walk through the corridors connecting many of Montreal’s museums, office towers and malls, from Place des Arts to points west and south – otherwise known as the Underground City – until March 16, you’ll find all kinds of art on display during the Art Souterrain festival. More art abounds at the Musee d’art contemporain, where Christian Marclay’s film-collage The Clock screens throughout the day, and at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where 1+1=1, a collaboration between the two museums brings together important contemporary work from their respective collections. Concordia University’s multidisciplinary art festival Art Matters continues with edgy exhibitions and parties at venues downtown and in the Plateau and Mile End neighbourhoods. And the 32nd edition of the International Festival of Films on Art begins on March 20, screening 270 films from 34 countries on painting, sculpture, architecture, dance, music, literature, comic books, and more artistically-inclined issues.

(on stage) The tragic, torrid romance between French sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel takes a balletic, dramatic turn on stage in Peter Quanz’s contemporary work Rodin/Claudel, performed by Les Grands Ballets, to March 22 at Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts. In contemporary dance, Montreal choreographer Jean-Sébastien Lourdais and his Fabrication Danse company present physical exploration Milieu de nulle part, March 19-21 at Agora de la Danse. In theatre, real estate deals never seemed so cutthroat as they do in David Mamet’s classic drama Glengarry Glen Ross, at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts beginning March 16. Montreal’s working class realities during World World I come to the stage in Motherhouse, written by political, award-winning playwright David Fennario, at Centaur Theatre. Talisman Theatre turns to high-tech puppetry in epic, supernatural tale of revolution and homeland, The Aeneid, at Theatre La Chapelle, to March 15.

(live music) Montreal’s acoustic glory, the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts, does some moving and shaking this week: on March 14, the Julian Kuerti conducts the Orchestre Métropolitain in a program featuring Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet and Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances; on March 16, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra sees Fabien Gabel conduct Ravel’s Boléro and more classics inspired by Hispanic dance; on March 19, virtuoso cellist Yo-Yo Ma is sure to turn the evening dramatic; and on March 20, the Los Angeles Philharmonic comes to Montreal under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel. Also performing at Place des Arts on March 20, though this time at the public space Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme, is world music quartet Surkalén. Experimental electronics meet northern soul as Toronto’s U.S. Girls owns the stage at Casa del Popolo with Gashrat and The Pink Noise on March 14. On March 15, Divan Orange hosts a Mardi Gras Ball with Cajun, bluegrass and swing music performances, burlesque and more, while on March 16, Italian superstar Zucchero makes a stop at l’Olympia, and Divan Orange turns the stage over to Canadian new-folk darlings Lakes of Canada. Later in the week, on March 19, some of the city’s best jazz improvisors play together in a show called Studies in Freedom at La Sala Rossa.

]]>http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/things-to-do-in-montreal-march-14-20/feed/0Montreal’s two biggest museums join forces for 1+1=1http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreals-two-biggest-museums-join-forces-for-111/
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/montreals-two-biggest-museums-join-forces-for-111/#commentsWed, 12 Mar 2014 18:24:59 +0000Isa Tousignanthttp://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/?p=64549Montreal’s two biggest museums – usually competitors for traffic – have come together to produce a sum greater than their parts: the exhibition 1+1=1, featuring the best contemporary art their shared collections have to offer… The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal had the brilliant idea to unite some of the very best pieces in their permanent contemporary art collections to make a whopper of a show in the Jean-Noël Desmarais pavilion of the MMFA. They selected five dozen works out of a choice of about 8,000 – per institution! The MMFA’s contemporary art curator Stéphane Aquin explains the birth of the idea: “Since we already have the Peter Doig show on, the director of the museum, Natalie Bondil, thought it would be fantastic to make the spring of 2014 the season of contemporary art. She said, ‘Why don’t we invite the MAC?’ It’s a first – it’s never been done in the 50 years since the Musée d’art contemporain was founded.” The exhibition effectively launches the celebrations for the contemporary art museum’s half-centennial, of which you’ll hear much more in the coming months. “In that way and in others it’s been a historic event,” says the... / Read More →

Montreal’s two biggest museums – usually competitors for traffic – have come together to produce a sum greater than their parts: the exhibition 1+1=1, featuring the best contemporary art their shared collections have to offer…

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal had the brilliant idea to unite some of the very best pieces in their permanent contemporary art collections to make a whopper of a show in the Jean-Noël Desmarais pavilion of the MMFA. They selected five dozen works out of a choice of about 8,000 – per institution!
The MMFA’s contemporary art curator Stéphane Aquin explains the birth of the idea: “Since we already have the Peter Doig show on, the director of the museum, Natalie Bondil, thought it would be fantastic to make the spring of 2014 the season of contemporary art. She said, ‘Why don’t we invite the MAC?’ It’s a first – it’s never been done in the 50 years since the Musée d’art contemporain was founded.”

The exhibition effectively launches the celebrations for the contemporary art museum’s half-centennial, of which you’ll hear much more in the coming months. “In that way and in others it’s been a historic event,” says the MAC’s director John Zeppetelli. “We’re so glad the MMFA is launching our celebrations.”

He adds, though, that the curatorial process wasn’t all smiles and giggles. “We must admit there was an aspect of friendly competition about the project,” he laughs. “It was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’ve got that? Well we’ve got this. Top that!”

The result is all the richer for it – blending Canadian and Québécois art seamlessly among the iconic international works, the exhibition’s six rooms boast some fascinating dialogues between art works, and a stellar artist lineup: everyone from David Altmejd to Ai Wei Wei to Louise Bourgeois to Betty Goodwyn is represented. It is, indeed, the kickoff to a killer contemporary art season.